Della and the Case of the Cranky Counselor
by GraceBe
Summary: Another take on the aftermath of "TCOT Weary Watchdog". I found this on my harddrive and thought it might be a good companion to my story "The Case of the One who got away". A bit of humour and a bit of angst and romance.


**Della and the Case of the Cranky Counselor**

"May I have this dance?" Perry crooked his eyebrow, as he watched a smiling Lieutenant Anderson offering Della his hand.

Della being her usual charming self, returned the smile and got up to her feet. "Of course."

"I hope you don't mind, Perry," Andy added, when Della had already placed her hand in the crook of his elbow.

"Why would I?" Perry returned and faked a smile. "Go ahead, enjoy yourself." And step on her toes, he added silently, hoping that would cure her from dancing with other men as long as he was around.

Since when was Andy interested in dancing anyway? The lawyers' eyes followed them curiously as they reached the dance floor. He had sensed the idea of having a night out together was a bad idea, but when Paul had suggested Andy should join them, his intuition turned into certainty.

Sure, it was a relief that the Brent case was over. Neither Janet Brent nor Della, especially not Della, had gone to jail, but that didn't mean he felt like celebrating. The last few weeks had been harsh on him, harsh on Della, harsh on them. Their relationship had suffered and he hated the distance the case had created between them. He was ready to leave it all behind. Tonight was supposed to be about them. Dinner, some wine, good food, and some dancing. He wanted it to be like it had always been, but Paul had to come up with this exceptional stupid idea to make a big thing of it. At least Hamilton Burger wasn't here. Mason could do without Burger and his commentary about Andy and Della dancing.

Paul, of course, had organized himself some lady friend of his to dance with, which meant Perry, Andy, and Della were meant to talk the night away. And now talking had become dancing. And dancing excluded a third party. As far as he could see it, Andy was a good dancer, which meant Della's toes would still be intact, once they left the dance floor again.

"Hey Perry," Paul patted Perry on the shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," came Mason's grumpy reply. "Why shouldn't I?"

"Don't know," Paul answered. "You look pretty grim tonight." Then he looked over to Andy and Della who continued dancing, though the song was already over and another, much slower song, started. "I never knew Andy was much of dancer."

"Maybe silent waters run deeper than we think," Perry replied darkly.

"Who knows?" Paul shrugged and pointed at the blonde next to him. "Listen, Pammy here and I will go now and spend the rest of the evening somewhere more comfortable. Tell Della and Andy bye from us, will you?"

"Sure."

"Thanks, pal." Paul finished his cigarette and took Pammy's hand in his. The couple left the club arm in arm and Perry realized he was left alone at the table. Forcing himself to do something else than staring at Andy's hand on Della's back - actually part of his hand was touching her bare skin - he searched his pockets for cigarettes and realized he hadn't any left. Getting himself a new package gave him at least the opportunity to flee this first class seat of his for a while.

To kill some minutes more Perry also called his answering service, but no one had asked for his expertise tonight. He sight and hung up. Murders simply never happened when one needed them...

****PD****PD****

Hours later Perry stopped the car in front of Della's apartment building. The drive had been long and annoying. The tension between them had reached a new level of uneasiness when Perry had overheard Andy asking Della to have dinner with him the following weekend. Telling Della he wanted to drive her home was Perry last resource of keeping control of the situation. In his imagination he had already pictured Andy escorting Della to her front door and receiving a good night kiss in return.

"Here we are," he said as he stopped the engine.

"Here we are," she repeated without enthusiasm. "Thanks for the ride."

"My pleasure."

If this were a normal evening, he would open the passenger seat door for her, but this wasn't normal. He didn't move a muscle and neither did she.

"I see I'm still not pardoned for my sins," she finally said sourly.

"What do you mean?" He asked honestly baffled, because his mind was still fixated on the memory of Andy Anderson leading Della across the dance floor.

"I was talking about Janet and me helping her," she explained.

"That's not it," he said.

"So, what is 'it', Counselor?"

"Why did you agree to go out with Andy?" He asked, still staring out of the windshield.

Della shrugged, "He asked. I like him, he's a good person."

"I never doubted that. He's also a good dancer."

Della gave him a side glance. "When did he ask you to dance with him?"

He turned to face her and registered with relief that she was chuckling. "Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound?"

"No," he answered.

"Well, Counselor, I'll repeat the question and remember you are under oath. What is your problem?"

"I don't have a problem. I just don't like the way, he was sneaking up on you."

"He wasn't sneaking up on me. It was just dancing!"

"For over two hours?"

"Was it really that long? I guess time flies when you're having fun." Now she was laughing and he didn't know what annoyed him more. Her attitude or his jealousy.

"Enough now." Fed up with the day, he opened the driver's door, and then he felt her gloved hand on his arm.

"Perry, wait." He leaned back in his seat, inhaling deeply.

"What do you think will happen if I have dinner with Andy?"

"You tell me."

"I imagine I will have a good time with a good friend."

He scoffed. "And if he wants more than that?"

"I'll tell him he's just that - a good friend."

He wasn't satisfied. It wasn't that easy. Didn't this woman know how beautiful she was? Didn't she know how many men would give their right arm to be with someone like her?

"Why are you going out with him in the first place?" he asked. And 'Am I not enough', he added silently.

She sighed. "In case you haven't noticed, he was very kind to me during the trial."

He hadn't noticed it. He had been too occupied with saving Janet Brent and her from a prison sentence.

"It would have been unkind to refuse his invitation."

"He didn't get you off the hook." He reached into his pocket and helped himself to a cigarette.

"No, you did that. For heaven's sake, it's dinner, Perry. I don't intent to sleep with him afterwards, if that's what's worrying you."

For a moment he forgot to breathe and swallowed on the smoke of his cigarette. While he coughed Della watched him with fading patience. "Is there anything else you want to know?"

He finished coughing and reached out for her hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"Accuse you?" She finished for him.

"I'm not accusing you of anything," he clarified. "I'm afraid to lose you. I couldn't have lived with myself, if you had gone to jail and I can't stand the idea of another man stealing you away from me. Even if you could do worse than Andy."

His confession made her speechless. "You won't lose me," she said after a while. "But sometimes I just don't know what we are. I always say, I don't want to get married and I mean it. But then there are times we aren't together in weeks and I wonder what happens to us."

"Are you saying you feel neglected by me?" He asked.

"During these last few weeks? You bet I felt neglected. There were days when you didn't even look at me, not to mention touch me. Sometimes I was wondering if you even knew I was there."

He bowed his head. "I was worked up in the case. I felt responsible for you."

"I was close to hand in my notice," she confessed in a low voice. He felt as if she had slapped him.

"I had no idea," was all he could say.

"Well, now you know. I didn't want to tell you, because it doesn't make much difference now that Janet is free."

"Could you for once forget about Janet?" he asked upset. "The woman isn't worth the trouble!"

"This isn't about Janet. You were angry with me and I admit you were right. What I did was stupid, but I wanted to help her. I guess I had hoped for a little more sympathy from you." Her face turned away, she wiped a tear from her cheek. "I have to go," she said.

"Wait," he said and now his voice was filled with a raw tenderness she hadn't heard in weeks. He touched her shoulder and then her face. With his finger under her chin he made her face him.

"I love you, do you know that?" he said.

"Maybe you do sometimes, but not always," she returned.

"No, I love you always. Even when you do stupid things like helping fugitives to escape. Even when you plan to have dinner with other men."

"You make me sound like a rascal."

"Because at times you are." He closed in to kiss her. It was a soft kiss that became a heated battle of tongues and wandering hands.

"Will you let me stay tonight?" He was breathless when he broke away and held her close to him.

"If that's what you want."

"Hell, yes, I want!" He exclaimed and kissed her again. "And will you tell Andy you're mine when he asks the same question?"

Della rested her forehead against his and chuckled. "You're leading a very convincing argument, Counselor."

"I hope, I do."

"There's no need for you to worry about Andy or anyone else," she looked up to him and he saw the tenderness in her eyes. "Never."

A happiness he hadn't known in weeks fulfilled him. He would always be afraid to lose her. He feared the day a perfectly nice guy like Andrew Anderson would come along and gave her the life and the attention she deserved.

"The next time you feel I don't pay enough attention, you tell me," he demanded. "I don't want to enter the office and find a note on my desk, telling me you have left."

A smile crossed her face and she ran her hands along his cheeks. "I promise it won't be that dramatic. I don't need that much attention, Perry. I just want to know I'm not alone."

"I'll always be there for you," he promised. "Come hell or high water."

"How long is forever?" she quoted him and toyed with the collar of this jacket.

"Exactly."

"Come with me," she whispered against his lips. He didn't like the loss of physical contact, but if they ever wanted to get out of the car, he had to move. His eyes clung to her well-shaped legs as he helped her to climb out of the car. With his arm wrapped around her shoulder he placed a kiss on her hair and said, "Lead the way, Miss Street."

 **~The End~**


End file.
